Description

This essay is a discursive speech and I gained a Grade A in it.

Preview

Euthanasia

The debate about Euthanasia dates back to 1870's. Euthanasia means literally 'a good death'. Passive euthanasia is the withdrawal of a treatment which is keeping a patient alive. Assisted suicide is another form of euthanasia. Active, or voluntary, euthanasia involves the intervention of a doctor to administer a lethal substance to kill a patient at his or her own request. The law in most countries makes practicing assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia a crime.
There are arguments for and against the controversial topic of Euthanasia. Many people feel that euthanasia is no better than murder and think that it should most definitely be illegal. Most of the population at present thinks that euthanasia is acceptable and that it stops unnecessary suffering in most cases. These people feel that it should be legalised. But if you were in this situation what would you do? There are arguments for and against this topic. In this essay I am going to put forward the main points for both sides.
Supporters of legalising euthanasia believe that it would give a dying patient control over his or her life by providing a formal procedure to allow its end and it would remove the need for 'secret euthanasia'. They also argue that Euthanasia stops the excruciating pain the patient has to put up with on a day to day basis. Although the hospice movement provides excellent palliative care there are not enough beds to cope with the number of dying patients and deal mainly with deaths from cancer and not for other terminal diseases such as Aids. Another argument frequently used is that financially
it is cheaper if a patient with an incurable illness dies quickly so that they don't need expensive care and drugs any longer. This would mean that the money saved could be spent on patients who could return to good health. Also euthanasia saves the patient's family and friends having to watch them die a slow and agonising death. It is said that the health and happiness you have in your lifetime is more important than the length of your life and that people should not have to keep on living if they feel they have nothing to live for. Lastly a persuasive argument is that euthanasia makes the passing away of the patient painless, restful and quick.
When drawing conclusions we must also look at the points made for the people who are against euthanasia. Many who oppose euthanasia in the UK see it as a religious debate about the 'sanctity of life'. Those who oppose euthanasia argue that mistakes may happen, that it is unnecessary as the pain can be overcome with pain killing drugs and that hospices provide for ...